The Seven Churches of Revelation - Introduction

The book of Revelation is confusing. It is confusing because it describes many things that have quite clearly not yet taken place and therefore describes events that we cannot properly comprehend until they do. We can fit these prophesies to certain historical events, but we can also fit them to other historical events. The result is that through the ages there have risen many potential anti-christs and many possible fulfilments of prophesy, but it was not yet God’s time. Therefore, while theologians have for centuries believed that the letters to the seven churches lay out seven consecutive phases in history they have almost universally placed themselves in the Laodacean church age.

Peter himself placed himself in the last days, just forty days after Christ was crucified as he preached in Acts 2:14-20

And Paul seems to have expected to be still alive when Christ returned:

1 Thessalonians 4:16-17

16. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
17. Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

Many believed at that time that John would still be alive to see the return of Christ. None of this has happened, yet it demonstrates again the fact that while we can apply historical analysis to these letters and place them as phases of history, they were most definitely letters written to specific existing churches at the time of writing, and they most definitely have a message for us today. We cannot ignore the letters to earlier churches believing ourselves to be in the Laodacean age, or God would not have passed them on to us today.

2 Timothy 3:16-17

16. All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
17. That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.

With this in mind over the coming weeks we will note the classical interpretation of historical placement of these letters, but primarily we are interested in applying these lessons to ourselves.

All the letters end with the enjoinment:

“He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches;”